Morning journal and courier., 1887-06-01
TO INVESTIGATES FURTHER


 The Police Commfssioners Take Par
 NeWcomb M. Bassett-Omcer DOherty
 Suspended Until Another Meeting of
 The Board-Chief Is IsoIlman to InvestI-
 gate the Matter-Omcer Connolly Re
 dueed for Entering a Saloon - Pay Granted Injured Officers. The board of police commissioners met
 last evening, and after transacting routine business Commissioner Shannon requested Chief Bollman to state the facts as he had learned them in reference to the encounter 1 between Officer Patrick Doherty and Mir. Newcomb M. Bassett.
 The chief said he thought it was the duty | of the board to investigate the matter. Commissioner Benton asked the chief if from the information he had reason to be- | 1ieve Officer Doherty had ased his club on MT. Bassett. The chief replied in the af- | frmative.
 In reply to Commissioner Baldwin Chief Bollman said if the board had not met last evening he should have considered it his duty | to suspend the officer until the matter had | been investigated. The chief stated further that it had been busy day with him and he l had not had sufficient time to make an accu. | rate investigation. He said further the off | cer was not on duty yet.
 Commissioner Baldwin said there had been I much talk over the matter and he moved | that Chief Bollman be empowered to suspend 1 Officer Dohe1ty unt;l another meeting of the | commissioners was called to investigate the | affair and hear further statements. Commissioner Shannon believed that g ! meeting should be called within week. Commissioner Baldwin said the president
 of the board, Commissioner Hart, would be back from his pleasure trip on June 10. The board will then be called together and Chief
 Bollman will suspend Officer Doherty until ! after that meeting.
 Officer Simon Streit some time ago stubbed | his foot while on duty and was injured so l that he wes idle for four days. He peti- ! toned for pay for the time id,e. It wes l granted.
 Sergeant AL Bradley was granted two days pay for injuries received in lifting a drunken woman into the patrol wagon. Officer Melia petitione for pay for injuries l received in getting on the police wagon while ! in motion. It was referred to the board of finance.
 Officer Col1ett was granted two days pay for minor injuries received while in the per formance of police duty.
 Roundsman Cook and Sergeant Bradley preferred charges against Officer Connolly of 1 the precinct. They testified that three different occasions they found the officer in Donnelly's Grand avenue saloon. May 4 they found him in the saloon with bottle partial | ly filled with liquor.
 Officer Connolly in his own behalf testified | that he found the saloon door open after 12 D. m. and entered to see if anyone wes on the l inside. Proprietor Donnelly testified that | the officer did not indulge in any intoxicants on the occasions mentioned.
 The board in executive session voted to re- duce the officer from grade A to grade for sixty days.
 The Assault Upon Lieutenant Rassett Indignant Citizens. There was much talk about town yester- day in reference to the assault upon Lieu tenant Bassett and much indignation. MT. Bassett was doing as we'll as could be ex- pected yesterday. HisIeg and ankle will be put into plaster cast to-day. Dr. c. P. Lindsley attends him. It is expected that he will be able to use crutches in two or three weeks. Mir. Bassett's story of the affair, which is corroborated by several citizens, is in substance as follows: MT. Bassett was coming down Chapel street on his way home, and when opposite the Yale bank building
 heard the music. Quite crowd had col lected and he stepped out into the street to watch the procession as it came along. q had not been there over ten seconds" he said, 'Fwhen saw the officer approaching and shouting out something. Before given an opportunity to move was given a vio- lent push. In stepping back to save myself from falling my foot, think, must have hit the curbstone, for my ankle turned and fell heavily, breaking my leg. l was sick and faint from pain and ja1ring by the fall. When on the sidewalk the
 policeman grabbed me and told
 me to get up. l said could not and told him my leg was broken. He then grabbed me by the throat and hit me, think, twice over the head with his club. I put up my left hand to gave my face and the club came down, splitting the nail on the middle finger of my left hand. I shall be laid up several
 weeks, but am in good condition to meet the shock to my constitution. The whole thing was done so quickly that MT. Barces, who stood arm in arm with me on the sidewalk, had no intimation that there was any trouble until he felt me falling. don't see how the crowd could have stood and let me be used so. I couldn't have stood still and seen anyone else treated so. I was then taken to the lookup" MT. Bassett next described his treatment on arrival at police headquarters. He was lugged into the lookup, placed on bench and searched. "I have been around New Haven" he said, flor good many years and this was my first experience of that kind; while in that vile smelling place could not Q6lp put dSk uySells WudL pIObSCtAOA was there for any citizen when in the hands of brutal incompetent policeman9" MT. Bassett says that he had no controversy with the policeman whatever; he did not use any lan- guage to him vile or otherwise, and the charge placed against him by the policeman that he was intoxicated was false and es out rageous as was the treatment received.
 W. A. Merrill of R. w. Mills grocery store, J. A. Smith of 769 Front street and A. R. Barnes, all eye witnesses, saw the assault and say that the officer was exceedingly brutal and that MT. Bassett made no remarks
 to him or did anything to provoke the as- sault.
 MT. Bassett has been employed as conf dential clerk and bookkeeper by General $. E. Merwin for twenty-one years, and is es teemed by very large circle of friends. Personally as friend remarked of him he is prince of good fellows, noble-hearted and warm hearted.
 Mr. and Mrs. A. D. Hendrick, who saw the clubbing, say the usage MT. Bassett re-
 ceived was brutal.
 The charges against MT. Bassett the chief reported to City Attorney Daley, ss in all
 cases, and MT. Daley can do as he likes about
 issuing warrant. Mr. Daley said yesterday morning that he had not yet learned the facts in the case.
 Officer Doherty wears shield No. 27 and was appointed to the force thirteen years ago. He has been twice before the commissioners on charges. The first time he was acquitted. On last October Chief Bollman suspended him and he was put before the commissioners for drinking glass of beer from Church street saloon one night about 1. o'clock. He was reduced two grades for two months, but hes been restored again. He is one of the largest and most powerful men on the force. He has considerable property. He never had any trouble with MT. Bassett before. MT. Bassett will not say what his intentions are, but in all probability he will bring action against the officer for damages.
 Officer Doherty's statement is that Bassett refused to move back and defed him. Then the officers hat WIS smashed down over his eyes by some one and on looking up he saw
 Bassett's hands flying and grappled him. ''Be 7sett tried to trip me and we both went down. There were half dozen with him at the time and several hit me. I got on my feet and said: You're my prisoner and
 place you under a1rest'' He replied: You can't arrest me, and the crowd wanted to take him away, but told them they couldn't; that we5 going to arrest him.
 He then said: Tf I had pis- tol I'd shoot you.' Then Officer
 Orr came along and he heard the expression. I asked Orr to telephone for the patrol wagon, and he did. I took him to the police office and charged him with drunkenness and